Chapter 998 Battle for the High Tower (Thirty-Two) (Patreon)

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The turmoil in the mine was quickly quelled as Merkel arrived with his entourage. He found enslaved miners strewn across the ground, Hexagon cowering amidst the Shadow Ore, and two crimson demons just getting up from the ground. Merkel was somewhat puzzled by the current situation.

But at that moment, Morren rushed over and nodded respectfully to Merkel, saying, "Lord Merkel, I'm truly sorry if we startled you!"

"I've said it many times, don't call me 'lord'," Merkel sighed, then turned to Morren, asking, "What's going on exactly? How did the shadow vine suddenly erupt?"

Morren rolled his eyes and then wore an angry expression. "There was a shadow monster who disobeyed orders, intending to disrupt production. After I found out and confronted him, he kept arguing. I intended to take him back to prevent him from hindering other groups' work, but he turned and ran..."

"I chased him to the nearby Shadow Ore, where he plunged in and deliberately provoked the shadow vine, seemingly wanting to kill us all. Lord Merkel, you must make a decision for us!"

Morren's expression turned sorrowful. "You just finished arranging the work for today, and I was about to follow your instructions for production tasks. But then he caused this mess. Maybe he's dissatisfied with the grouping you assigned, so he wanted to sabotage us!"

"I know you're busy with work and have many tasks to arrange. We'll take him out and bring him back. The third group has always understood the importance of unity. We'll make sure to educate him properly..."

Morren intentionally used many words that Merkel had used before, words that were somewhat unfamiliar in Hell, such as production, unite, work arrangement, etc. He believed that this would make it easier to gain Merkel's trust, proving that he had indeed listened carefully to Merkel's lectures.

However, even though Merkel was an action agent, he had undergone formal ideological education. He could easily see that Morren hadn't undergone a change of heart, so he knew he couldn't fully trust Morren's words.

"I understand. Here's the plan: you go back first, and I'll take this shadow monster to the central command. If he's dissatisfied with the work arrangement, I'll transfer him to another group. If he intends to disrupt production, I'll educate him."

After Merkel finished speaking, he moved closer to the Shadow Ore. Morren felt anxious because he knew that the shadow monster had heard his plan. In Morren's view, this plan needed to be kept absolutely confidential, as it required an element of surprise for a successful assassination.

"Wait, Lord Merkel! The current state of the shadow vine is unstable. If you approach, it might be dangerous. Let us handle it!" Morren had a sudden idea. He stepped forward, blocking Merkel's path, then turned and approached the Shadow Ore with a dagger in hand.

Watching all this from a god's perspective, Batman furrowed his brows even deeper. He knew that the true form of the shadow monster was fragile, with a fatal weakness located in the central eye of its tentacles, its core organ. With one blow, this poor shadow monster would meet its end.

Merkel looked at the still convulsing shadow vine. He also felt it wasn't a good idea to approach recklessly. He didn't know what the crimson demons were planning, but he thought it might be better to let them bring out the frightened shadow monster first. After all, if the shadow vine went berserk again, the enslaved miners here would be in danger.

Batman, bound to a pillar, kept struggling. Finding it futile, he turned his head to Schiller and said, "Let me down."

"Do you want to save him?" Schiller asked without lifting his head. "Do you want to save your pitiful friend?"

"But, Batman, do you know?" Schiller turned his head to Batman. "Have you ever considered that these two demons might be on the side of justice?"

"Of course, their motives are impure. They want to kill you because they want to be the leaders themselves. But in a sense, their plan is what we truly want to see. Do you know why?"

Schiller looked around the interior of the mine, his gaze seemingly piercing through the mountain, towards the dense fog in the sky of Hell. He spoke, "Overhead, weighing on these slaves, isn't just the mine; it's you."

"You, Batman, the new master of the mine, the new general, the hero who saves them from fire and water. But equally, you're the enemy of all the proletariat, the exploiter, the mountain pressing down on the people."

Schiller looked into Batman's eyes. "The cunning and evil crimson demons are the heroes, while you are the dragon."

"Any resistance by the proletariat against the bourgeoisie who exploit and oppress them is just and necessary, regardless of their motives or intentions towards you."

Schiller said word by word, "Any capitalist who extracts surplus materials, the vampire who extracts the labor value of workers, the devil who squeezes the labor power of workers, will be held accountable."

"So, you should understand why we never discuss these topics with you. There's no room for negotiation between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie."

"If we were truly willing to negotiate, like those weaklings who want to play cards with you, then in October of that year, there would have been no need to raise the flag. But since the flag has been raised, it's a fight to the death."

Batman had never heard Schiller speak in such sharp and extreme tones. He didn't even know if Schiller was expressing his political stance or emphasizing the differences between them.

"But I never intended to exploit workers," Batman said to Schiller. "I pay them on time, never delay payments. Even worldwide, Wayne Group's employee benefits are top-notch."

"But the existence of the bourgeoisie is inherently evil," Schiller didn't back down, saying, "Haven't you realized?"

Schiller took a deep breath, looked up, then lowered his head again. "Let's not talk about reality for now, let's just take the mine as an example."

"You must have heard what that crimson demon just said. Do you think what he's doing is right? Groveling, pretending, seeking power, oppressing others—is that what you want?" Before Batman could respond, Schiller interjected on his behalf, "Of course not. Neither you nor we want such people in our team. So why do they exist?"

Schiller looked at Batman, awaiting his answer. After a brief moment of contemplation, Batman replied, "Because of power. Where there is power, there will always be those who seek to obtain it. Some of them, morally weak and unscrupulous, will use inappropriate methods to gain power and oppress others."

Schiller nodded and asked, "Then where does power come from?"

Batman furrowed his brows. His wise mind allowed him to capture the essence immediately, but he struggled to find the right words to express his thoughts. Thus, he ambiguously said, "Because of 'difference.' Not in terms of strength or size, but in terms of status."

"We have a clearer term to refer to this difference you mentioned. It's called 'class,'" Schiller said solemnly to Batman. "In a narrow sense, power comes from the disparity in class. But where does class come from?"

Batman's brow remained furrowed as he fell into silence for a while before saying, "Because of different possessions."

"What you call possessions, we have a term for it too. It's called 'capital.' Different levels of capital ownership lead to the emergence of different classes in society. And power is one of the manifestations of class."

"Power doesn't equate to responsibility; it equates to class. The notion that 'with great power comes great responsibility' is a concept capitalist use to avoid discussing class, intentionally distorting the meaning."

"Power is never accountable to responsibility; it stems from class and is only accountable to class. Power is, and always will be, a tool for maintaining class dominance."

Schiller laid out the logic clearly, and Batman understood what he was getting at. Schiller then looked at Batman and said, "The existence of class is the root of all injustice. Therefore, our ultimate goal is to eliminate class."

"But class is determined by the amount of capital. Where do you think you would be placed?" Batman didn't respond, but he knew Schiller didn't need an answer. The question was too simple; whether in Hell or in reality, Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, was a capitalist with immense capital.

"Are you implying that it's because of me that people like Morren exist? But even without power, he wouldn't be able to oppress others with power. His evil would drive him to harm others through other means," Batman pointed out one of the flaws.

"This issue you're talking about is called law, or the ultimate form of human society. We've discussed it before, but not in depth. Let's not delve into it today because it's irrelevant to the answer you're seeking."

"You say the crimson demons are the heroes, brave proletarians resisting, but you haven't denied that they're evil beings who use power and class for their own gain. Isn't that contradictory?" Batman immediately captured another loophole.

"This is the contradiction between action and thought. From their actions, they've achieved what you and Merkel need: independent thinking, practical ability to act on their thoughts, ambition, desire, and willingness to strive for their own interests. But don't you find it ironic that it's the opposite of what you detest? From a human moral standpoint, they lack conscience, violate societal norms, but haven't fully transgressed them."

Turning his head to the scene, Schiller observed as the two crimson demons continued to chip away at the Shadow Ore. Due to the special nature of the Shadow Ore, however, they wouldn't be able to harm Hexagon hidden within for some time.

"Did you send that shadow monster to the battlefield?" Schiller asked.

"Shadow monsters aren't suited for battle," Batman's tone sounded somewhat nervous. He knew Schiller was digging up old issues, but he didn't know which ones. He continued, "This race isn't fit for combat, and Hexagon's foot injury hasn't healed yet."

To his surprise, Schiller nodded without saying anything. But then he pointed out, "Did you let him join the labor group?"

"His foot injury hasn't healed yet, so he's not suitable for labor," Batman replied.

"Did he tell you that?" Schiller looked at Batman and asked, "Did he tell you he can't go to battle and isn't suitable for labor, so he needs you to give him special treatment?"

Batman shook his head, and Schiller turned his head back, looking down, and said, "Are you really not exploiting the workers?"

"You use the power and class difference between you and them to exempt your friend, the shadow monster, from the toils of battle and labor. But at the same time, the responsibility he hasn't taken on will be shared by others."

"Why do you control them in battle?" Schiller posed another question, but then he answered, "For victory? Then what is victory for?"

Batman didn't bring himself into Hell; instead, he thought of Gotham. So he replied, "I hope they can have a happy life."

"But if victory belongs only to you, they will never have a happy life," Schiller seemed to lose patience with the slow explanation, so he said bluntly:

"You may achieve victory, but nothing will change, and the people will not have a happy life because victory doesn't truly belong to the people."

"The greatest obstacle between the people and victory, and the happy life you desire..." Schiller looked into Batman's eyes, saying, "is you."

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 999: Battle for the High Tower (Thirty-Three)